The Core Balance Diet

I can't tell you how wonderful this book has been for me. I stopped feeling like I was fat and lazy, and started feeling empowered to make changes. I stopped eating sugar, wheat and processed foods. It has been amazing! I'm lighter and I move with more ease, I have lots more energy, my skin is clear, and I am much calmer. The changes suggested in this book made me a happier person.

This book really clicked for me (and like most, I've read many, many diet books). The premise of The Core Balance Diet is that successful weight loss happens only when key imbalances in the body are corrected (named in the book as digestive sensitivities, hormonal, neurotransmitter, adrenal imbalances, inflammation, and detoxification issues). Excess weight - especially weight carried around the middle or stubborn to lose pounds - is a key sign that the body is experiencing an underlying problem. As Pick writes in the opening chapter, "Extra weight is not a sin, it's a symptom--a sign of a core imbalance, an injury that must be healed before the body will feel safe enough to let go of its reserves." The first few chapters go on to describe in detail the physiology and mind-body connection behind weight gain, weight loss, and "toxic weight", pounds the body throws on from too much stress and eating too much processed food. The second part prescribes a 14-day detox period and offers menus, lists of foods to avoid, exercise recs, and encouragement for what these diet and lifestyle changes will bring the body. After following the 14-day detox, readers then take a series of quizzes to see what their core imbalance(s) might be. Separate chapters for each imbalance follow - all come with structured menu plans, exercise tips, etc. The last few chapters focus heavily on emotional healing and state of mind - these chapters alone would make a very powerful book. The resources section includes more recipes than you'll ever need to successfully follow the Core Balance eating plan. I've followed Atkins, WW, South Beach, you name it, and after reading Core Balance (and now following the 14-day detox - worst part, giving up coffee, but I'm actually feeling a bit better now 3 days in), I can immediately tell the difference between a diet plan that just says, "Eat this, do this, and see? You'll lose weight" and the Core Balance plan. From this book, I finally understand why I've struggled so much in the past with weight. Best of all, I now have a customized plan in hand for how to heal my body and shed the pounds. Definitely five stars for that! Plus, I just absolutely love Marcelle Pick's warm, chatty writing style. Page turner diet books are hard to come by, but this is one. Bottom line? A truly unique standout in the current crop of diet/weight loss books!

I opened the Core Balance Diet expecting to fail, to not follow the plan, to not see results. I was willing to give it 30 days, which in the whole scheme of things was small in comparison to the years I neglected my health. I was very impressed with the recipes in the book. Not only were they easy to prepare, but they were downright delicious! I had my favorites, which I made on more than one occasion. After a few weeks on the plan, I had a feel for what was 'allowed' and was able to make some minor adjustments without affecting the plan. I have a hard time planning meals and eating early, so I decided I would double up on the recipes and freeze individual portions to take to work - this one choice is why I was able to stick to the meal plans so closely for the 30 days! I only had a few issues overall. I was very fatigued the first few weeks, but it got better as the month wore on. Marcelle explained in the book that this was from the body releasing the toxins I had stored in my fat cells, so I wasn't concerned. My energy did start to come back. The only other issue I had was that I was so 'satisfied' all the time that I had a hard time fitting in the snacks between meals! Not only did my digestive system balance out and act 'normal' for the first time in decades, but I lost 15 pounds over the course of the month. I am 5' 9" tall, and started the program approximately 60 pounds over weight, for those who might wonder. The biggest news, is that I tried going back to my old eating habits, and my body very clearly told me it didn't like my 'old ways'! I have decided to stick with the healty lifestyle ongoing. Thank you Marcelle!!!

The Core Balance Diet is a must-read for women who have, well...gotten off balance (which would include probably 85-95% of American women). And Marcelle (with Genevieve) include six common ways that we have lost our balance: digestive, hormonal, adrenal, neurotransmitter, inflammatory, and detoxification. Which of us has not experienced imbalance in one of those areas, let alone two or three? Marcelle challenges the woman who thinks she would be too overwhelmed to make some dietary and lifestyle changes: "If you could help your partner to lose weight, or help protect your child's health, by changing what he or she ate for a month, wouldn't you try and do it? Now, aren't you worth that same amount of attention?" And she is only asking you to try her program for a month! After that, she assures you, you'll be free from your food addictions and hooked on your feeling great! Balance, as you might suppose, also entails eating approximately a 30/30/40 ratio of healthy fats, protein and complex carbs (though not as strict as the Zone Diet). But it includes much, much more than that. The book begins with an explanation of how imbalances lead to weight gain and aging and provides a layman's easy-to-read explanation of the systems. Marcelle provides a Core Balance quiz for you to determine which of your systems are weakest. This is followed by a chapter on each system. Each chapter (which is delight to read even if they don't apply to you as much as the others) contains the following: information on the imbalance and how to correct it; sidebars and boxes with interesting tidbits of info; a list of "Marcelle's prescriptions " for that imbalance; diagnostic tests to note the progress of that imbalance; foods to include and foods to avoid; supplements to take; "a day in the life" schedule for the lifestyle changes needed (exercise, when to eat, self- nurturing, etc.); a one-week menu; and frequently asked questions. There are also 60 pages of recipes. Except for the medical diagnostic tests, this is a complete do-it-yourself book. True to the Hay House spirit, there is also a chapter on the mind-body connection with the cute title, "Your Issues Are in Your Tissues" which alerts you to negative thinking and self-destructive behavior patterns that can sabotage your health. I have read hundreds of books on health and nutrition (even wrote one myself!) and I give this book a hearty two thumbs up! I learned lots of interesting tidbits, such as how the liver is taxed on a low-fat diet, how Vitamin D deficiency is linked to obesity, and how not flossing can lead to body-wide inflammation. The only thing Marcelle could do to make it more complete would be to have a chapter on the importance of eating more raw foods since a raw diet taxes the digestive system far less. This is a diet that can be, with a bit of imagination, used by anyone who has any dietary slant (vegan, vegetarian, raw fooder, etc). For example, if one is raw vegan, substitute raw hemp p